Ebola patient in Kampala
The Ministry on Health has confirmed the first Ebola Virus Disease in Kampala after a patient who died at Kiruddu government hospital tested positive .
Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health revealed on Tuesday afternoon that the index case in Kampala passed on Friday at the hospital where he was admitted with symptoms of the deadly disease.
She says the patient is one of those that fled Mubende Referral Hospital where he was isolated as a contact to a confirmed case. The deceased changed his name and proceeded to see a witch doctor in Luwero District.
Following his demise, Aceng says the deceased was taken for burial in Mubende before his samples returned positive for the deadly disease.
“He was taken for burial in Mubende and the leaders intercepted the team and took the body. He was identified as a suspect on the contact list,”says Aceng
She however says the medical staff that attended to the deceased were protected with the necessary protective gears as the patient had visible signs of the disease.
Anonymous sources at the facility say the patient claimed to be a resident from Nateete, Lubaga Division in Kampala. They further state that 42 contacts have been listed including 10 Health Workers who received and attended to the patient.
Ebola patient in Kampala
Latest statistics from the Health Ministry indicate that 48 cases of Ebola have been confirmed to date, 19 have succumbed to the disease, 19 patients have recovered including five health workers released on Tuesday from Entebbe health unit.
The Ministry of health have also listed 1049 contacts.
This development comes as the health Ministry has collected samples from another suspected case at Nakasero Market.
Christine Namuli 36, a resident of Kasubi in Rubaga Division fell to the ground and started vomiting blood on Monday at about 8:30 pm on Monday night.
Eye witnesses allege that blood was also coming out of her ears, creating fear and panic among her colleagues and police officers who responded to the scene. The lifeless body was abandoned at the scene until about 11 pm when Ebola medical teams from the Ministry of Health arrived clad in protective gear, wrapped and carried the body to the mortuary.
Kampala Metropolitan police mouthpiece Patrick Onyango has confirmed the incident. He says the body is currently at the Mulago City Mortuary awaiting a postmortem report and sample test results.
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